Four nations made debuts at the 2026 World Cup, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan gracing the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It was the tournament with the most newcomers since 2006 and Cape Verde achieved the feat of ending a 16-year wait for a debutant to reach the knockout stages, before succumbing to Lionel Messi's Argentina in a classic.
Brazil have been handed a significant fitness boost following concerns over the availability of star winger Raphinha. The Barcelona forward underwent medical examinations on Saturday morning after being forced off during the Selecao's victory over Haiti.
Young Elephants
